His Last Gift
by Aurelian Marcellus
Summary: (AU, based on chapter 93) - Seeing her so fragile and small within his arms, a part of him was reluctant to leave her behind. However, he knew that his sacrifice to become the Parent metal was necessary and inevitable. This is something that only he, the last remaining Pureblood ancestor, can do. This is his fate... "I am sorry, Yuuki. I lied."


**In order for the story to be clear, a few things to note before you read it:**

**1) This is a companion fic or sequel to 'Sorrowful Reunion, Bitter Separation', but you can also read this story by itself.**

**2) Kirei is the name that I had given to the Hooded Woman/ancestress in the VK manga.**

**3) Kaname and Yuuki did not sleep together in Chapter 89. So, don't expect them to have a child together in this story.**

**4) There is no chance for Kaname to be revived in this story.**

**If you can't accept the last two points, I would advise you not to read this.**

* * *

**His Last Gift**

_Kirei, you once told me that we were born this way for a reason._

_I now know the reason for my existence and my purpose for being awakened in this era of time._

_It is so that when you are tired and can no longer hold on as the Parent metal … when the time has come for you to rest in eternal peace, I will be the one to succeed you in giving the Hunters, no … in giving humanity another long period of tranquility as both races tried to reach the true state of coexistence._

_It took me some time to realize this._

_At first, I thought that the purpose of my existence is for Yuuki's sake, for giving her happiness._

_Thus, I wish to spend an eternity together with her._

_When I realized that she had never smiled from the bottom of her heart ever since she was with me…_

_When I know that I could never give her true happiness, I resolved in finding the right opportunity to turn her into a human so that she could be with Zero._

_It was also during this time that I had fully remembered all of my past memories._

_From regaining those memories, I came to realize one thing that I had been too blind to notice sooner. It is that Zero is similar to me, while Yuuki is similar to you. Like myself, Zero was born and bound to a fate that he didn't want and couldn't control. Suffering from such fate and having given up on the hope of achieving happiness, it is Yuuki who had supported and cared for the young Hunter, much like how you had cared for me in the past. In other words, Zero and Yuuki are supposed to be together in this era, while I am not supposed to even exist in this time._

_If Rido hadn't awakened me from my slumber, none of the incidents that had happened until now will occur._

_However, what happened had already happened. It can't be changed._

_All I hope to do now is to help Yuuki realize where her heart truly belongs._

_Yes, I do love and care for her, but she will never truly be happy with me._

_However, if she was with Zero, I am sure that she will achieve true happiness._

_As her older brother and as someone who loves her, I wish nothing more than for her to be happy._

_That's why I am more certain of this path that I had chosen._

_Now, the time has come for everything to be the way they are supposed to be._

* * *

History was repeating itself… but he knew that it was done out of necessity.

Ever since Kirei's consciousness as the Parent of the anti-vampire weapons had been put to rest after nearly ten thousand years, the Hunters had lost a majority of their source of power, which consisted of anything that had been forged from the Parent metal. Even for the few remaining anti-vampire weapons, such as the Bloody Rose and Artemis, it will only be a matter of time before those weapons crumbled into pieces. If that were to happen, it will be disastrous for both the Hunters and Humans as there will be nothing left for them to defend themselves against the Purebloods, who had been wishing to be free to do as they please. Moreover, all of the efforts and sacrifices that had been put forth in order to achieve the dream of a peaceful coexistence would have been in vain.

He, Kuran Kaname, will definitely not let that happen.

He had owed too many things to far too many people and this was the least he can do to repay them.

Without any hesitation, Kaname tore out his beating heart and dropped it into the burning flames of the furnace. The flames flickered wildly as his heart was slowly being integrated with the metals within the furnace. As he watched his heart continue to regenerate every time it was consumed by the flame, Kaname felt an unbearable searing pain coursing throughout his body. Eventually, his legs gave way and he fell to his knees on the floor in front of the furnace.

_**This unbearable pain… Kirei, is this what you were feeling at that time?**_

"Kaname…" came a familiar and beseeching voice from behind him.

Weakly, he turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder and he saw Yuuki standing by the doorway, looking fearful and anxious. Not long after Yuuki's arrival, Zero had also reached the furnace room and from the look of surprise on his face, he must have known what Kaname had done.

"This can't be… You…" muttered Zero in disbelief. He then looked away in exasperation and exclaimed, "This shouldn't be happening!"

Hearing what Zero had said, Kaname wanted to smile and tease the Hunter with mocking remarks, but he restrained himself. From the moment when they first met each other, the silver-haired Hunter had always hated him and wanted him dead. Therefore, it was unlike him to react this way now that Kaname was truly dying. However, the Kuran ancestor did know that things have slightly changed between them recently. Although Zero was still hostile towards him, it was much milder than before. Moreover, he was willing to leave his back to Kaname in battle and Kaname was willing to do the same to him during the confrontation with the opposing Purebloods.

Two nemeses leaving their backs to each other's care in battle.

In the past, it would have been an impossible scene as they could barely stand each other's presence, but it is truly happening now and Kaname had to admit that it was a pleasant change. Sometimes, it even made him wondered if he and Zero could have been friends if circumstances had allowed it. After all, Zero understood Kaname more than anyone else and vice versa. If he hadn't used Zero as a pawn in his plan of protecting Yuuki, could they have been on better terms with each other?

It was a bittersweet thought, but it no longer mattered now.

"Kaname!" yelled Yuuki as she immediately rushed to Kaname's side and placed her hand on his chest, where his heart should be. There was nothing but complete stillness, no signs of any heartbeat within his chest.

"Your heart…"

"It's inside," replied Kaname candidly as he stared listlessly into the flames of the furnace. "It's melting and then regenerating, over and over again within the furnace. It will no longer regenerate within me."

"No! We have to get it out!"

Yuuki then reached out towards the furnace, but Kaname held her back by the wrist.

"Yuuki," he called her name in a tender and yet, pain-filled voice before he wrapped his arms around her from her back and spoke close to her ears, "It's already too late. The core of my life had been shifted to within the furnace. Before long, this body will stop moving and I will lose my consciousness and live as the many weapons that will be created from this furnace."

"No, I don't want you to become like this."

Her voice was shaking and Kaname could feel her petite body trembling against his. Seeing her so fragile and small within his arms, a part of him was reluctant to leave her behind. However, he knew that his sacrifice to become the Parent metal was necessary and inevitable.

This is something that only he, the last remaining Pureblood ancestor, can do.

In the past, Kirei had prevented him from killing himself by taking his place as the sacrifice and became the first Parent metal for the Hunters. However, after ten thousand years, the role of being the Parent metal still fell upon him in the end.

Perhaps, this is what people called as 'Fate'.

This is his fate.

"Back then… you agreed to start over from the beginning … with me," said Yuuki in between her sobs.

Yes, he did want to start over with her and be free of the heavy weights of his past life, but he couldn't. He couldn't escape from his past. No matter how hard he had tried to move forward into the present, he found himself rooted at the same spot in his past. This was proven by the fact that his fate had caught up to him even after ten thousand years had passed.

He just doesn't belong to this time.

"I am sorry, Yuuki. I lied."

At hearing that, she furiously wiped her tears away with the back of her hand as she said, "If only I wasn't born… If only I hadn't existed… None of this would have happened! "

Kaname knew that his decision and his words will make her cry, but this will be the last time she will ever experience grief because of him. When he was gone, Zero will be the one who mends Yuuki's broken heart and gives her the blissful life that she deserves. He believed, no… **he knew** that Zero could do it.

Throughout the time that he had spent at Cross academy, Kaname had not only been watching Yuuki. As much as he didn't want to, he had been watching Yuuki **and** Zero, who was always found close to the cheerful girl. He hadn't wanted to admit it at those times, but their radiance when they were together was always dazzling to his eyes. For him who didn't possess any of such radiance, he was attracted to the both of them and he found himself unable to look away.

He yearned for that light and he wanted to be a part of it.

Even though he knew that it was impossible.

Therefore, he wanted to tell them now… He wanted to tell both Zero and Yuuki his last words and his true feelings before he lost the chance to do so. He didn't wish to repeat the same mistake as he did with Kirei in the past, in which he was never be able to confess his feelings to her and in turn, he will never know her feelings towards him.

He doesn't want to leave with regrets.

"Yuuki," he spoke in a gentle tone, like he always does whenever he was talking to her. "Never regret your existence in this world."

Kaname remembered the time when he had first laid his eyes on the infant Yuuki, who was being cradled lovingly in Juuri's arms. At that time, she was like a tiny ray of sunlight that could penetrate the sea of darkness. Therefore, Kaname had sworn to himself that he will protect her until the very end.

"After you were born, there was never a single day that had passed in the Kuran manor, which wasn't filled with joy and laughter. You have brought so much happiness to mother, father and myself," Kaname paused and smiled as he recalled a five-year-old Yuuki clinging onto the sleeves of his clothes and smiling ever so brightly. "As the memories of my long and lonely past gradually returned to me, you are the ray of light that showed me the way. You're the only warmth I felt."

In those difficult times… If it wasn't because of Yuuki, he would have lost himself to the madness and despair, which was brought by the return of his past memories.

She saved him.

"When it was time to let you go, I thought that it would be enough if I could just watch over you from a distance. However… you, who lived as a human, had become a radiant existence that I constantly yearn from afar…" he closed his eyes and recalled an image of thirteen-year-old Yuuki, who was blushing whenever he patted her long hair. "… and I lost myself to my desires. Everything that came after the massacre of the Council of Ancients was supposed to happen after I turn you back into a human, but I made a mistake and I couldn't stop myself."

At that time, he couldn't bear to part with her and he wanted to spend an eternity with her.

For the second time in his long existence, he had wanted to live.

"To shake off those contradictions, I imposed many unreasonable demands on you and took away the smile that radiated from the bottom of your heart."

Due to his selfishness of wanting to be with her, Yuuki had become a still doll. She was unable to smile and be true to herself. He loves her so much and yet, he was the one who had ruined her the most.

"At the very end, I revealed my past to you to see if you would reject me or not."

He had expected her to leave him after knowing that he was not her actual brother or fiancée, but her ancestor. After all, there would be no strong ties to actually bind them together when this truth was revealed. Much to his surprise, she still loves him and chooses to be by his side. He was happy, of course, but it also made him hesitant in carrying out his plan in turning her into a human.

Thus, he continued to make one mistake after another…

"Don't say that everything is your fault, Yuuki. The fact that I decided to protect you and the fact that I made these mistakes… They are my choices, not yours, and I don't regret them. However…"

Kaname looked over his shoulder to stare at Zero. The Hunter held a sorrowful look on his face, which the Kuran ancestor thought was probably due to Yuuki's grief. Nonetheless, seeing Zero's current expression somehow made Kaname felt relieved in leaving Yuuki in his care. If he felt this much pain just from seeing Yuuki in sorrow, it was certain that he would do anything to protect her and to prevent her from ever feeling such sadness again.

"… I have to atone for all the sins that I have committed."

Shizuka, Hanadagi, Ichiru, Zero's parents… He had to atone for all those deaths that he had directly or indirectly caused and for the people that he had hurt and manipulated, which was far too many to count. Nonetheless, Zero was certainly one of the people that Kaname owed the most as he had ruined that young Hunter's whole life in order to shape him into becoming the perfect weapon and guard for Yuuki. Even if he wasn't dying, he doubt that he would able to compensate Zero for all that he had done to the silver-haired Hunter.

"You understand, don't you?" he asked Zero.

"…Yeah," the Hunter responded impassively after a brief pause.

"Even at this very instant, there's surely someone who had becomes another sacrifice," when Kaname said this, there was a remorseful glint in his wine-colored eyes. Hugging Yuuki tightly, he then added, "That's why, Yuuki, don't struggle to stop me anymore."

Like Kirei, Yuuki had done so much for him. Now, it was time for her to let him go and be free. Moreover, this life that he had, it had been a truly fulfilling one. In this life, he had parents who loved and cared for him as though he was their own son, true friends who were loyal to him and a nemesis that had not only constantly opposed him, but had taught him many lessons in life. To the Kuran ancestor, it was enough. He was contented to have live until now.

"I don't want this…" said Yuuki in between her falling tears." I can't imagine a world where I can no longer hear your voice… I don't want to know…"

"Yuuki, I will say this once again," Kaname moved his arm to stroke the top of Yuuki's head before he continued, "The reason I do this is not because I didn't received any happiness. It's because there's light at the end of this journey."

A light that he can reach out and grasp within his own hands.

In response to his statement, Yuuki can only cry harder as she burrowed her face on his chest. Even though she was reluctant to let him die, she knew that there was nothing more for her to say.

As Kaname had said earlier in the beginning, it is already too late.

"Bloody Rose is dying… Should I be thanking you?" asked Zero in a blunt tone as he couldn't stand the uncomfortable silence, which was only broken intermittently by Yuuki's weeping.

Kaname understood what the Hunter was saying. With him being the Parent metal, Bloody Rose could be reformed and it wouldn't have to crumble to pieces. Therefore, Zero was asking if he should be thanking Kaname for his sacrifice.

"However, I cannot forgive you for giving Yuuki sorrow and grief," added the Hunter with a hint of anger in his voice.

Hearing that, Kaname merely smiled as he raised his hand towards Zero. "That's fine."

Without warning, he suddenly wrapped his arm around Zero's waist and pulled him closer, while he used his other arm to pulled Yuuki closer. He could tell that his sudden action had surprised the both of them as he could feel their bodies tensed up within his hold. However, he wanted them to be close when he said this.

He wanted them to hear every single word that he has to say from that moment on.

While holding both of them close to him in a hug, he said in an unusually weary voice, "I… have always been gazing at the radiance of the two of you from afar. So, I have come to understand… that you two should be together."

Yuuki and Zero's eyes widened in surprise when they heard those words. Even so, Kaname continued to speak as he could feel his consciousness slipping away rapidly. His time was almost up, but there was only one sentence left to be said. The most important sentence.

"I want…" His lips curved up slightly to form a contented smile. "…you two to be together."

With that said, he closed his eyes and his hands slowly fell to his side, followed by his body slumping forward to lean against Yuuki's shoulder.

"Ka…name?" called Yuuki as she looked at Kaname's limp form in her arms with wide and shocked eyes.

Seeing her older brother's closed eyes and the barely noticeable smile on his face, Yuuki knew that he was truly gone. She will never see his warm smile or hear him calling her name in his usual gentle voice again. Filled with grief and regrets, Yuuki silently embraced her beloved brother's head as tears continued to flow freely from her auburn eyes. As for Zero, he held a pensive and sympathetic expression on his face as he watched the Kuran siblings from the side. Whether the sadness in his eyes was due to Yuuki's grief or was it because of Kaname's death, that was something that is left open to question.

A few moments later, Kaname's body shattered into numerous shards of crystal, much to Yuuki's dismay.

However…

Even though his physical body was no more, Kaname found himself standing near both Yuuki and Zero within the furnace room. Apparently, the transition of his consciousness between his physical body and his heart within the furnace had been instantaneous. Staring at both of his palms, he noticed that they appeared intangible and transparent to his eyes, much like how he had last seen Kirei in her corporeal form when she was the Parent metal. In a way, it could be said that he had died and was now a spirit that was eternally bound to the furnace. In order to prove his point, he tried to place his hand on Zero's shoulder. As he had expected, his hand easily went through the silver-haired Hunter's shoulder as though it was thin air and the Hunter was completely unaffected by that.

_**So, this is how it's like to be the Parent metal?**_

Kaname wondered as he stared at his hand, which had just gone through a living person's shoulder, inquisitively.

"Yuuki!"

Startled by Zero's surprised voice, Kaname looked up only to notice Yuuki's retreating back as she ran out of the furnace room. Knowing Yuuki, she must be attempting to do something reckless, such as fighting off the enemy Purebloods outside on her own. He can't let her endanger herself like that, especially when Artemis was already near its limit. Speaking of Artemis being at its limit, the same can be said for Zero's Bloody Rose as well …

A spark of realization hit Kaname as he knew what he should do now.

Without a moment's hesitation, he directed his will towards the Bloody Rose in Zero's grip. Although this was the first time he had taken any action as the Parent metal, it didn't take him much effort to extend out a silver tendril from within the furnace, which then wrapped around the anti-vampire gun and wrenched it out of Zero's hand. Instinctively, Zero tried to retrieve the gun, but it was too late as the gun was already deep within the burning furnace. Being a vampire, the act of reaching into the furnace, which produced the banes of vampires, in order to retrieve the Bloody Rose would be a very foolish thing to do. Thus, all Zero could do was to stare helplessly at the roaring flames of the furnace.

"Calm down. I am going to reform Bloody Rose for you," said Kaname as he went to stand next to the distraught Zero. Noticing that Zero didn't respond to him, Kaname merely sighed.

"You can't hear me, can you?"

As expected, Zero didn't respond to his words. Well, he should have expected that much since he was already 'dead'. No one will ever hear or see him and that was how it will be from now on. It was something that he must get used to now that he had become the Parent metal. Still, it wouldn't hurt to speak out and pretend that he could be heard. Moreover, it would be much preferable than the cold silence of the room.

"Aside from the reformed Bloody Rose, there is something else that I want to give you," said Kaname as his sight was focused on the inner chamber of the furnace.

"And I won't take 'no' for an answer. You **will** accept this gift, whether you want it or not."

With a faint smile on his face, he then turned his head to look at Zero. He placed his hand slightly above the Hunter's shoulder so as to have the impression that he was actually placing it on the younger man's shoulder.

"This will be my last gift to you."

As soon as Kaname said that, several metallic tendrils reached out from within the furnace and wrapped themselves around the bewildered Zero's right arm…

… and the rest is history.


End file.
